Do Crybabies Have Good Aim?
by Dancou-Maryuu
Summary: After the events of "Let It All Out" and "I am a Savage Bunny," Nick and Judy are both left wondering where they're going from here on out. As with much in their lives in this point, they can only find that answer with each other...


**So yeah! This rounds out the "Retreating Fox" trilogy!**

 **I like to think that a lot of the sort of things that happened in these three fics happened in the movie as well.**

* * *

"So… Just like that, I can dodge a criminal record?" said Nick, fiddling with the controls for his hospital bed.

"Essentially…" Chief Bogo nodded.

Nick had to admit, the idea was crazy enough to work – Bogo was craftier than he'd given him credit for. Still, the fox knew why Bogo was suggesting it.

"Tell Carrots I'm thankful for the opportunity."

The buffalo raised an eyebrow. "Am I that obvious?"

"No, but _she_ is." Nick mused. "Why didn't she just tell me this herself?"

Bogo sighed. "She holds herself responsible for your going savage, and for endangering you on multiple occasions."

"Ah, Carrots…!" Nick shook his head.

"You disagree, then?"

"Hey, I knew the risks when we went after Doug." Nick shrugged. "She genuinely wanted to make things right, and she'd probably go even if I didn't come along."

Bogo sighed, clicked his tongue, and shook his head in sympathy. "Indomitable…"

" _Ohhh_ yeah…" Nick grinned.

"You approve of her taking that kind of risk? Risking your neck along with hers?"

"Hey, I was gonna lay down and let Bellwether to go all totalitarian on us predators until Judy came and told me what 'Night Howlers' really were. Unlike her, I had nothing to lose!"

"Not even your life?" Bogo remarked.

"Not like it was worth much…" Bogo was unnerved by the fox's frankness; "Even Pawpsicle-hustling wasn't doing me much good anymore. My head wasn't in the game…"

"Mr. Wilde, you _are_ aware that you're talking to an officer of the law, right?"

"Technically, I didn't break any laws." Nick shrugged again, "And if I _do_ get dropped on my head and decide to join the ZPD, it's not like you wouldn't find any of this in a background check. Carrots must have forgotten that when she told you to ask me to join up."

"Wilde, I'll admit I was skeptical of your character before…" Bogo was finding it harder and harder to accurately peg Nick down – at least, not in a way that didn't match Judy's description of him; "…but it seems to me like you're even more skeptical of it yourself."

"Chief, I'm a fox. 'Dubious character' is practically written on my forehead."

Bogo tensed up. There was that unsettling hint of resignation in Nick's voice. "Wilde, if I may ask, why did you assist Hopps in the original investigation – the one that led to Lionheart's arrest?"

"Well, I had to be dragged off of my bushy tail to help. It wasn't until I saw Manchas – that jaguar – turn savage that I realized what the stakes were."

Bogo remembered that it was just after that that Nick had spoken up for Judy when the Chief had demanded she hand in her badge.

"Wilde…" Bogo eased into his next line of questioning. "What's your considered opinion of Hopps – as an officer?"

"Well, she…" Nick seemed to consider this, "She may not exactly be level-headed, but… that's only because she's got her eye on the ball 24/7. Once she knows what to do – _boom_ – she'll do it! Like you said, she's indomitable!

"And she rubs off on ya, too." Nick continued. "I mean, I can only speak for myself. I dunno what the other cops say about her, but I don't think I could've done _half_ the things I got away with on the Bellwether case if she weren't there. Have any other cops said this about her?"

Bogo bristled as he was reminded again of his stupidity. "Hopps… was not an officer long enough for her to form any lasting relationships with her co-workers – at least, none that I've noticed…"

Nick stared at the buffalo in disbelief.

"Chief… Could you tell her I want to see her?"

"I can, but there's something else I should tell you." Bogo remarked, "As with the other afflicted predators, your next-of-kin was informed as to your condition. It took us a while to track her down, but she said she'd be here as soon as she could."

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

"That's probably her now…"

Nick gaped as the door to his room opened. Tears began to flow from his eyes as he felt like a little kit all over again.

"Mom…!"

Nick didn't get the chance to say anything more as the teary-eyed vixen rocketed into him. Nick didn't protest. He just returned the hug and began crying along with her.

"I-I'm so sorry, Mom…!" Nick sobbed.

"Don't apologize, Nick…" the vixen was smiling despite her tears, "I'm just glad you're okay…!"

Bogo quietly excused himself from the room.

* * *

Nick was still contemplating his reunion with his mother when a small voice wafted over to him.

"Hey…"

Nick looked at the open door where the grey bunny nervously shuffled in on a pair of crutches.

"Hey!" he gave an affable grin.

More uncomfortable silence.

"Are-are you alright?" Judy murmured.

"Head's still a bit fuzzy, but not too much." Nick rubbed the back of his head. "Are _you_ alright?"

"Oh yeah… Leg's healing up nicely…"

Nick frowned. "Judy…"

The use of the bunny's actual first name caused Judy to stop cold. She looked up and saw that Nick's ears were angled back, hands clenching his bedsheets. "You don't have to lie to me…" The fox took a deep breath in, "Did I hurt you?"

" _No!_ " Judy said emphatically, "No! You didn't hurt me at all!"

"Are you sure?!" Judy noticed that Nick was shivering.

"Nick, you were acting submissive!" Judy raised her hands, "I was worried _I'd_ hurt _you_!"

"Why would you think that?!" Nick's anxiety shifted to confusion.

"You-you looked… You looked… afraid…" Like he was now… Was it her?

Judy turned to the door. "I'd better go…"

"No, _wait!_ " Nick suddenly yelled. Judy turned around and saw Nick reaching for her, a look of fear in his eyes. "Don't go…!"

"O-okay. I won't go…" Judy sat down in the chair next to the bed.

Nick sighed, forcing his mouth into a smirk. "I lose my mind for days and you don't even send a postcard? For shame, Carrots!"

"I just…" Judy sighed. "I just didn't know if you wanted to see me…"

"Why not?"

"Well…"

Nick sighed. "Bogo told me what he saw when he got there. He said you were hugging me."

"I'm sorry!" Judy sputtered, "I wasn't trying to invade your personal space! I just wanted you to calm down! I-!"

"Whoa-whoa-whoa! Easy, Carrots!" Nick raised his hands. "It's alright!"

"No, Nick! It's _not_ alright!" Judy shook her head, "I _hurt_ you! You were afraid of me!"

"When did you hurt me?" said Nick.

"Oh, gee! I dunno!" Judy rolled her eyes, "How about when I started a _species war_ right in front of you?!"

"I forgave you for that already!" said Nick, "And I've heard that one of the reporters that grilled you was working for Bellwether. The crazy sheep set you up! Besides, you were just repeating what that badger doctor said!"

"No, Nick! That was _me_ talking! I didn't stop and _think_!"

"Either way, I forgave you back at the bridge!"

"And for what?!" Judy snapped, "I nearly got you killed several times _after_ that! The train crash, for starters! I told you to speed up and we nearly lost all the evidence!"

"If you didn't speed up, we wouldn't have made the switch in time!" Nick explained, "It was a choice between hitting the switch and jumping the curve or plowing into that incoming train! Either way it would have ended in tears! You picked was the least worst option!"

"I shouldn't have taken the whole train car!" Judy's foot began to stamp in annoyance. "You wanted to just take the pellet gun! That would've been enough!"

Nick growled. "The gun may not have been enough to build a case off of! Even if Doug and his buddies got busted, we didn't know who their boss was yet! There was nothing there to directly link it to Bellwether! She had contacts in the ZPD, remember? She could have arranged for the evidence to be 'lost'!"

" _I_ got my leg busted at the museum!" Judy snapped, "You should've left me there and taken the gun to Bogo! They wouldn't have turned _me_ savage!"

"I wasn't. Going. To leave you there, Carrots!" Nick buried his head in his hands. "They wouldn't turn you savage! They'd just flat-out _kill_ you!"

"I was horrible to you right from the start!" Judy growled. "I blackmailed you with your tax returns! That's out of my jurisdiction!"

"You could've reported me to the IRS and _they_ would've gotten me!"

"I tricked you into breaking and entering just so I'd have probable cause to investigate Mr. Big's limo!"

"You only had to because _I_ held you up at the DMV! I'm not blameless here either!" Nick snapped.

"I got Mr. Big ready to _ice_ us!" Judy shrieked.

"He was mad at me already!" Nick barked, "Skunk-butt-rug, remember?! He'd have iced me anyway if Fru-Fru didn't recognize you!"

"Skunk-butt-rug?!"

Judy and Nick turned their heads to where Mrs. Wilde, as well as an older female rabbit, a kudu, an oryx, a diminutive fennec, and a portly cheetah were staring at them through the open door.

Nick groaned and rolled his eyes, "The skunk _donated_ the fur!"

"Don't think we aren't going to have a talk about this later, Nicholas!" said the vixen, crossing her arms and raising an accusatory eyebrow.

"Same goes for you, Judith!" said Bonnie Hopps, stamping her foot.

" _Not now, Mom!_ " Nick and Judy chorused.

Before either mother could reply, a male blackbuck nurse stomped up to the door.

" _Excuse me!_ " the nurse addressed the group of onlookers, "Could we all not crowd around the door like this?! You're blocking the hallway! Either get in the room or get out of here!"

The band of rubberneckers dispersed; the kudu and the oryx began bickering over who crowded the hallway first, Mrs. Hopps and Mrs. Wilde began commiserating over how much of a handful their respective kits were, and the cheetah gave Judy a nervous smile and a kindly wave before walking off with the fennec, who quietly asked the cheetah when he figured Judy and Nick would start dating.

"And _you two_!" snapped the blackbuck, poking his head in the room to point at Nick and Judy, " _Lower. The volume!_ "

The nurse slammed the door, leaving Nick and Judy alone.

"Look, Judy!" said Nick, "You shouldn't beat yourself up like this!"

"Nick, you've been through _way too much_ because of me!" Judy sighed, "I'm a loose cannon! I'm a horrible cop!"

"No you aren't! You were on the ball the whole time! I didn't even take the damn thing seriously until Mr. Big got involved!"

"I was playing right into Bellwether's hands!"

"As if _I_ wasn't?!" Nick gestured to himself, "The traffic cams were _my_ idea! It never occurred to _me_ that Bellwether was using them to keep tabs on us – or why she didn't turn over any footage of Manchas or any of the other predators going savage!"

"Why are you so defensive of me all of a sudden?!"

"20/20 hindsight, fluff!"

" _Nnngh!_ What'll it take for you to let me take responsibility for my actions?!" Judy growled.

"What'll it take for _you_ to let me forgive you?!" Nick groaned.

The two paused.

Neither of them was sure which of them started laughing first, but soon they were beside themselves as the absurdity of the situation hit them. However, Judy's laughter soon became belabored with tears, and she fell onto Nick, hugging him tightly, burying her face in his chest.

"I just… I just couldn't stand it!" Judy moaned, "I _hated_ seeing you so… so… _vulnerable_ after you got hit with that pellet…!"

"Judy…!"

"You said how you wanted to be part of a pack as a kit, Nick…" Judy looked up at Nick with sorrowful, tearful eyes. "I… I couldn't take seeing you feel like everyone had betrayed you – like everyone had abandoned you! You shouldn't feel alone, Nick…!"

"Carrots…" Nick stroked Judy's back and ears. "I'm… I'm actually worried about how alone _you_ are…"

"Huh?"

Nick sighed. "You see, after the Junior Ranger Scouts incident, I tried to pretend everything was alright for my parents' sake, but then… then my Dad died, and I _really_ went off the rails…"

"Oh…!" Judy cupped her hands to her muzzle.

"Yeah… He got run down by some drunk who got off lightly thanks to his rich parents' lawyer – and the fact that my Dad was a fox. He was the last mammal on Earth who deserved it.

"After that, I grew kinda… bitter… Started sneaking out at night, tagging buildings, just making a nuisance of myself. I prided myself on never getting caught… but one night, when I was about seventeen, I got sloppy, and my Mom caught me sneaking out.

"We got into an argument. I said some nasty things about how there was no point in trying to be upstanding citizens if nobody saw us foxes that way, and that if this was a just world, then Dad wouldn't be…"

Nick seized up, then faked coughing. He had years of experience discouraging tears.

"Anyway, I got mad and I hardly ever talked to Mom after that. I ran away from home as soon as I turned eighteen. I floated around, doing odd jobs to get by, never quite seeming to make ends meet until I met Finnick, who taught me how to live on the street. We came up with hustles, and the rest is history…

"I didn't think my Mom would ever forgive me for saying those things and running off, but… she wound up coming here to see me and, well… I guess forgiving the unthinkable must run in my Mom's side of the family…"

Judy gaped. "Nick, I- I'm so happy for you!"

Nick smiled wistfully, then returned to giving Judy an earnest expression. "The point is, I was lucky. I had Finnick there with me to get used to life on my own. When you came to Zootopia, you'd never left the farm, and I know you come from a big family, so it must've been rough for you out here on your own. But it wasn't until a short while ago that I found out how lonely you really were."

"What do you mean?"

"Carrots, let me ask you something." Nick stared deeply into Judy's eyes, "How many friends do you have on the force? Or anywhere in Zootopia for that matter?"

Judy was taken aback. The closest thing she had to a friend had been Clawhauser, and she'd only interacted with him on a professional basis.

"Nick, I…" Judy sighed. "That's on me again… I was so hardheaded I never bothered to connect with anyone… Besides, who'd _want_ me?" The grey-furred bunny's tone grew sour. "I never had good mammal skills. I never had much of a love-life. My parents tried setting me up on a few dates. Nothing ever lasted 'cause I just thought of it as a distraction…"

"Ah, Carrots…" Nick hugged the bunny tighter, "I _wanted_ a pack, but I think you _need_ one more than I do…"

"Nick…" Judy pulled out of the hug to reach into her bag, pulling out a folded sheet of paper. "Here. I kept this to remind me of what I'd done."

Nick unfolded the paper, and looked it over in disbelief. It was the application form he'd filled out all those months ago right before the press conference.

"I asked my parents to bring it and a few other things over." Judy explained.

"Carrots, I…"

"I don't think I have a future in the police anymore…" Judy explained, "But that doesn't mean _you_ don't have one...!"

Nick was humbled. "Y-you don't have to get me a job out of pity, Carrots…"

"It's not just pity, Nick." Judy assured, "I think you'd make a great cop. You've got all the right skills. You'd never make the same mistakes I made. The ZPD doesn't know what it's missing with you!"

"I-I-I…" Nick fake-coughed again. "I'm still a tax evader, Carrots!"

"So?" Judy said, "That same trick about withholding testimony in the Bellwether case unless charges are dropped could work there, too. And you'd be on a government payroll, so you could just get a little bit chopped off your monthly salary to help pay back what you owe in back taxes."

"Ouch…" Nick chuckled, "Probably wouldn't be much more money than Pawpsicle hustling then…"

"It's not just the money, Nick…" Judy said, "You filled the form out. I _know_ you wanted to join…!"

Nick sighed. "Alright, I'll do it. But on one condition…"

"What's that?"

" _You_ are going to take Bogo's offer and get your badge back."

"What?!" Judy sputtered. "Nick, I thought we went over this – I'm a loose cannon!"

"You _are_ , which is why someone's gotta be there to help _aim_ that cannon. Bogo's giving you a chance to have someone do just that. Plus, it's now a known fact that if you're _not_ a cop, you'll find some _other_ way of raising Hell, so I imagine the ZPD's finest would rather you were close by so they could keep an eye on ya. Given that you've taken down two Mayors, I imagine they'd prefer it if you were on _their_ side."

"But what if they all hate me? The other officers, I mean…" Judy explained. "I mean, what with my ego, and- and- my bad mammal skills…!"

"That just means you need to network a bit more." Nick explained, "Turn up the charm some… Get to know 'em a bit, figure out their favorite breakfast cereals, learn the secret handshakes… all that stuff. Just show 'em you're willing to learn! Chief Buffalo-butt says you're absolutely 'indomitable' once you set your mind to something… so why don'tcha set your mind to that?"

"Okay…" Judy murmured, "Still, I'll bet some of the predators on the force wouldn't be that thrilled to have me back…"

" _Au contraire_! I recognized that cheetah at the door from ZPD Headquarters just before the press conference. I figure he must've been there for you. Ergo, I bet you're in at least _one_ pred cop's good books. He can help you with the networking thing. _And_ …" Nick gave his trademark eyes-half-lidded smirk, "I can think of one predator in particular who'd be willing to partner up with you – once he gets out of the academy…"

Judy stared up at Nick in amazement. "Y-you mean, you'd still have me as a partner?"

"Why not? I mean, who else would put up with me?"

"Oh, you!" Judy gave the fox a tight squeeze, tears streaming from her eyes – this time of joy.

They remained together for a bit until Judy's ears suddenly went perked up.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" the rabbit reached for her bag again. "I also brought you this…!"

Judy produced a little plush rabbit. It was brown, and wore a blue t-shirt adorned with a gold "JUNIOR ZPD OFFICER." It looked like it had seen a lot of use.

"I've got a ton of plush bunnies in my house." Judy explained, handing the toy to Nick, "It's a bit of a thing with us rabbits – making representations of family members so we're never too far away from each other – but It's not unusual to get the occasional 'fun' bunny like this one."

"And you're giving me this one because…?"

"Well, I just kept thinking about seeing you when you went 'savage'…" Judy's ears drooped, "You say that I'm emotional, but… I don't think it's healthy for you to keep your feelings bottled up like this… I remembered how often I found myself venting to all those stuffed bunnies and I figured, it wouldn't hurt for you to have someone you could show your feelings that would never judge you. This little guy's helped _me_ out more times than I care to remember!"

"I…"

"Either way, I think that you should open up to others, too. It shouldn't take a Night Howler pellet to get you to be honest with yourself… You don't need to be 'Slick Nick' all the time…!"

"I…" Nick stared at the plush in his hands, "Thank you…"

The surprise dissipated, however, and 'Slick Nick' returned, pointing at Judy's open bag. "Is that _the_ carrot-pen I spy? I thought it was taken as evidence!"

"Oh, it was! My parents gave me a couple spares once they saw I was putting that one to good use."

A smirk grew on Nick's muzzle. "Here, since you're leaving _me_ with something, I might as well give you something to help keep that cannon pointed in the right direction…!" Nick reached into the bag and grabbed the pen, switching on its recording function.

"Raise your right paw." he explained

"Wha…?"

"Come on, raise your right paw."

There was silence as Judy remembered her complying with Nick's instruction.

"Now repeat after me; I, Judy Hopps…"

* * *

Back in Bunnyburrow, Judy had decided to turn in for the night after searching for accommodation in Zootopia. There was no word yet on whether she could move back to the Grand Pangolin Arms. Clawhauser had agreed to help her find new accommodation if she couldn't get her old apartment back. Now Judy found herself glancing at the contacts list in her phone, which now had two new names in it: Nick Wilde and Benjamin Clawhauser - the beginnings of her "networking" plan.

As the bunny doe tucked herself in, she had another listen at the recording Nick had left her on the new carrot-pen, in which she recited perhaps the most important - though certainly the longest and strangest - oath she'd ever heard of:

 **"I, Judy Hopps, do solemnly swear that from this day forward, I will be brave, loyal, helpful, and trustworthy, and if I find myself going off the rails, I will stop, look, and put myself back on track. I will acknowledge that I have drive, and I will use that drive to improve myself, to make myself a better cop and a better mammal, and to network the fertilizer out of my surroundings, so that I can go out there and help mammals in need, uphold the law… and make the world a better place. I know that I can't just become perfect, but that just makes things a helluva lot more more interesting, since that means I can keep working at that goal – at making the world a better place – as long as I feel up to the job, adapting my mentality as the situation requires."**

Judy couldn't help but feel... _liberated_ when she heard herself recite this...

 _"And now, Officer Hopps, you may arise, for you are no longer a dumb bunny."_ Nick's voice imitated a posh accent after Judy had finished reciting.

 _"Hey, watch it!"_ Judy chuckled as she remembered playfully elbowing Nick in the ribs in this part of the recording. _"If I'm not a dumb bunny anymore, what does that make me now?"_

 _"Hmmmm… how about a_ sly _bunny?"_

 _"Is that like being an honorary fox?"_

 _"I dunno. I'm making all this up as I go, really."_

 _"Well, I_ like _it!"_

 _"Either way, I'm glad we got it recorded, 'cause there is_ no _way I could remember all that!"_

 _"Just you wait, Slick! I might spring an oath on_ you _once you've got that badge!"_

 _"Alright, alright. I'm ending the recording."_

 ** _CLICK_**

Judy glanced at the carrot-pen a little longer. For the first time in a long while, she genuinely felt good about what she was doing.

She lay back in her bed, wondering what sort of oath she'd spring on that fox.

Then Judy broke into a grin as she remembered that Nick had sworn an oath of his own already…

* * *

 **"I, Nicholas Wilde, promise to be brave, loyal, helpful, and trustworthy."**

Nick chuckled as he remembered the words he'd memorized as an eight-year-old (or had he been nine? God, he must be getting old…). That must've given him the idea for that stupid oath he'd given Judy.

As he crawled into his dingy bed, the fox thought back to all the corny things he'd done for that crazy rabbit thus far. For better or for worse, Judy Hopps had given him that sense that he was a part of something bigger. His plans on joining the ZPD reflected that.

However, there was no way on Earth that he could leave Judy behind. For all her flaws, Judy was had gotten Nick to be better. Even tasting that while they were tracking down Emmitt Otterton had been enough to turn him off hustling. After Judy resigned, even Finnick had half-jokingly told Nick that he should have kept that application form. "At least that'd give ya somethin' ta do!" the fennec had said.

Now, for the first time in what felt like ages, it felt like Nick was going in the right direction – but only because Judy, with her unending motion, was pulling him that way. If he'd let her stop, there would be no way he could move forward either.

"Crazy bunny's like a drug…" he chuckled as he picked up the little plush bunny she'd given him. Maybe a bit of networking on both their parts once they were both in the ZPD would reduce their emotional reliance on each other, but they'd both have to be a part of the force to be sure…

Nick had elected not to tell Judy that foxes didn't usually go for stuffed animals. It wasn't because they disapproved of them – there just wasn't much point in having them given that foxes already had large, fuzzy objects attached to their rears.

Still, Nick was glad Judy had given him this little toy. It was a tactile reminder of the new direction she was pulling him in. The fact that it had her scent all over it helped; It had clearly been with her a long time.

Nick actually did have very vague recollections of what had happened to him while he'd been under the effects of that Night Howler pellet. Nothing too definite, but he could remember feeling something akin to that god-awful memory of running out of the Junior Ranger Scouts Troop Building with a muzzle on his face. But then, he remembered feeling a sort of refreshing, soothing coolness enveloping him – a heart sharing his pain as Judy's scent overwhelmed him. That must have been her hugging him.

Nick stopped recalling his time under the influence when he realized that a tear had streamed out of his eye.

His first instinct was to suppress it, like he always did. But then he looked around. There was no one else there to see it. Just him and-

He glanced at the plush rabbit again, recalling what Judy had said about not being 'Slick Nick' all the time.

The fox sighed as he lay back in bed, hugging the stuffed toy and wrapping his tail around both it and his curled-up body as more tears began to flow out of his closed eyes.

It was funny; Nick couldn't even remember the last time he'd held felt _good_ about crying…

* * *

 **So yeah. My apologies if you wanted this series to become a door-stopper.**

 **However, the themes raised in this series are not quite dead yet! I've got concepts in my head surrounding stories that could take place in this universe, yet could just as easily have happened in the regular movie's continuity, so I wouldn't make them a part of this series.**


End file.
